Having a healthy and well-fed dog is every pet owner’s top priority. However, there are times when a dog loses weight without explanation. Losing weight can be a sign of many conditions, some of which may be serious. Therefore, it is important for pet owners to understand what can cause a dog to lose weight and how to recognize the signs. This blog post will discuss what it means when a dog loses weight and how to determine if it is due to a medical issue or something else. We will look at the potential causes of unintended weight loss in dogs, the potential symptoms, and what to do if your dog is losing weight. By understanding the potential causes and symptoms of weight loss in dogs, you can ensure your pet gets the proper care and attention they need.
Reasons Why Your Dog May Be Losing Weight
A veterinary visit is essential to determine whether your dog’s weight loss calls for a simple change in diet or requires more serious medical treatment, regardless of whether her appetite has suddenly decreased or she is eating and drinking just as much or more than usual.
According to Finch, “anything that causes increased nutrient use, like cancer, or decreased nutrient use, like dental disease or gastrointestinal problems, is a possibility.”
It can sometimes be challenging to determine the precise cause (or causes) on your own because common conditions that can cause weight loss in dogs vary widely. Some possibilities include:
Causes Of Sudden Weight Loss in Dogs
Weight loss in dogs resulting from parasitism is much less common than it was in previous years, thanks to a growing percentage of pets receiving monthly protection against intestinal parasites and heartworm. It would be best if you remembered that not all products are equally effective at staving worms off. In particular, there aren’t a lot of products designed to kill whipworms. Pets can contract whipworms by directly ingesting eggs from the environment, such as contaminated water or soil. Some symptoms of intestinal infection in dogs to watch out for are:
To diagnose intestinal parasites, a veterinarian typically needs to perform a fecal examination. Depending on the type of parasite in your dog’s system, the veterinarian will look through your dog’s feces for eggs or other parasite life stages. A monthly preventative medication is usually used in conjunction with a broad-spectrum dewormer to treat intestinal parasites and prevent reinfection.
There are many types of cancer that can cause unexplained weight loss in dogs. Cancer is typically more prevalent in older dogs, and malignant forms of cancer can be life-threatening. Several malignant cancers in dogs are directly linked to weight loss, like lymphoma, osteosarcoma, and hemangiosarcoma. Weight loss due to these malignant tumors may occur both due to the metabolic demands of the tumor itself and because discomfort and pain are reducing the dog’s activity and appetite. Other canine cancers, like oral melanoma, may make swallowing and eating a painful process, causing the dog to stop eating.
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Pets with heart disease don’t lose weight right away when the condition first manifests, similar to those with kidney disease. Some dogs may even appear to be putting on weight (despite eating less) as a result of fluid retention in the body. The simplest way to determine whether your pet’s weight loss should be of concern isn’t always through loss of appetite. You might want to increase the amount of calories in their diet if you notice a small amount of unexpected weight loss. Your dog should be fine if they eat more and gain weight again. To prevent food theft or sharing, be sure to separate the affected pet’s food from the food that the other pets consume. Avoid feeding table scraps or too many treats to maintain the experiment’s control.
In contrast to some other conditions where weight loss is a symptom, pets with kidney disease typically don’t lose weight right away (as was the case with heart disease above). Weight loss is typically associated with chronic disease forms. If your pet’s kidney disease is discovered after you’ve noticed them losing weight, it’s very likely that they’ve had the condition for a very long time. Dogs typically experience discomfort as the illness worsens, including loss of appetite, vomiting, and dehydration. Emaciation results from this type of chronic illness-related weight loss because it typically affects muscle and body fat.
Metabolic disorders like hyperadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease) and diabetes mellitus can significantly impact the body condition of your pet. Metabolic conditions often display complicated clinical signs, and advanced diagnostic testing may be necessary to identify these conditions.
Also known as Cushing’s Disease, hyperadrenocorticism is the overproduction of cortisol in your dog’s blood. A tumor in the pituitary or adrenal gland is usually the cause of excess cortisol. 80% of Cushing’s Disease cases are from a benign pituitary tumor. Another common symptom of Cushing’s Disease is hair loss. If your dog is losing weight and hair, they may have Cushing’s Disease.
With diabetes mellitus, your dog’s capacity to produce enough insulin to break down blood sugars is compromised. Dogs who have unbalanced insulin levels may experience severe weight loss and the symptoms listed below.
You should speak with your veterinarian to establish a management plan if you believe your dog may have diabetes.
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Over time, weight loss brought on by GI issues can occur as your dog may have trouble retaining nutrients due to frequent vomiting and/or diarrhea. You should consult a veterinarian to identify the underlying cause of your pet’s diarrhea and vomiting because they can both have a variety of causes. Affected by maldigestion or malabsorption, the intestine’s capacity to digest and absorb vital nutrients from food may be compromised. No matter how their diet is altered, pets with gastrointestinal disorders will typically be extremely underweight until a medical solution is implemented.
How Do I Know if My Dog is Too Thin?
The best way to know if your dog is too thin is to take them to the veterinarian. Your vet can evaluate your dog’s body conditioning score. A healthy dog weight has an ideal body conditioning score of a 4 or 5, according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Tufts University’s Veterinary School states that when looking at your dog, if you can see the ribs, lower back vertebrae, and pelvic bones, then your dog may be too thin, and you should take them to the vet for assessment. A healthy dog will have ribs you can easily feel but not necessarily see.
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